Prince Charming
by Jack Of Some Trades
Summary: The long courting ritual of a couple, from the first kiss to the second, seventeen years later.


**__**

Disclaimer: It seems to me that The Big A.T. would speak proper Japanese. I know "fire," "light," and "hello." So unless all the stupid stereo types are right and Japanese really is just three words, I'm not Akira T, and therefore I don't own DB/Z/GT. 

To say it takes a lot to distract Eighteen from her daughter would be an understatement. An argument between Vegeta and Bulma wasn't enough to do it. Chi-Chi with a frying pan wasn't enough to do it. And yet, something, somewhere, distracted Eighteen long enough for Marron to wander to the edge of the roof of the Capsule Corp, where they (they being the Briefs, the Chestnuts, the Sons, the Turtle Pervert and a smattering of aliens, baseball players, and animals who could transform into other things) were having a picnic.

~*~

Goten and I were playing tag that day. Tag with Super Saiyan ten-year-olds was considerably more fun than regular tag, not that we would have anything to compare to. We were only really killing time until dinner, which was why I happened to be watching the edge of the roof at the right time. The smell of grilled meat was in the air, and my mother would soon be calling us.

At any rate, it was about this time that I caught sight of a small blonde girl walking around the edge of the building. Her hair, untied from its usual restraints, flew wildly in the wind. She didn't look too much unlike a Super Saiyan herself.

Unfortunately, she didn't fly like one. The wind that had been so dramatically styling her hair had picked up, and blew Marron's light form from the building.

I instinctually appeared beneath her, catching her in mid-air. The girl clung tightly to me as I carried her back to the roof.

"Marron!" Eighteen exclaimed as her child ran into her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Trunks saved me!" she exclaimed happily, staring at me as I stopped being blond.

"Trunks… thank you so much," Krillin said, hugging his daughter.

I, although usually a glory-hog, merely said, "It was nothing," and went back to my game.

~*~

__

People have said that saving a life creates an unbreakable bond. No one would ever again recall a time when Marron was seen at the Capsule Corp without Trunks somewhere in her visual range. For some reason, Trunks didn't seem to mind.

~*~

When dinner was finally done (five Saiyans on top of the rest of the guests went through a lot of cow) we all sat down to eat. Marron, for some reason, insisted on sitting with me. By which she of course meant snuggling into me.

"Stop that, I'm trying to eat," I said, grabbing my tenth cheeseburger. "Mom!"

"Oh, Trunks, let her go. You saved her life," Mom replied.

"I've saved a lot of lives. They never reacted like this." Nevertheless, however loud my complaints were I never made the girl leave.

Finally, after enough food to feed any other planet, the party dispersed. The second-to-last guests to leave, the Chestnuts, had to wait a bit longer for Marron to want to be separated from me (not that I can say I blame her). At last, she left, but not before doing one thing that the I greatly disapproved of.

"Yuck!" I exclaimed as her five-year-old lips met his cheek. "Disgusting!"

The girl only giggled as she hopped into her mother's arms and flew away.

I glared at the retreating bodies of Marron, Krillin, and Eighteen. "Brat," I muttered. "I just received my first kiss from a girl half my age."

"Nice," said Yamcha. Mom promptly smacked him on the back of the head. "What?"

"You know."

~*~

__

Over the years, things changed. Trunks' reputation with women, for one. It wasn't that Trunks was a player. Far from it, actually. In fact, he was more of a romantic than anyone he knew was. He was looking for his one true love. The problem? He was doing it by process of elimination. Aerith had been nice, but a bit too keen on making him suffer. Then there was Diema, who was too keen on making everyone suffer. No one was right, no one was perfect.

~*~

"Okay, Trunks, tell me this. Why is it that _the_ Trunks Vegeta Briefs is still single? With all the dating you do, you should have a harem or something." Marron took a fry from my tray as she asked this.

"Don't do that. And I am offended that you would ask that, Marron. You know about my quest for true love." I devoured his third chicken sandwich and continued. "And so forth."

"Yeah, true love. One woman at a time." She took another fry.

"Stop that. And what about you, Miss Chestnut? Still single, and even if you are only twenty-two, you are famous and hott. With two t's."

Marron blushed slightly. "Not even a love interest," I continued, happy in the fact that I could so easily bring a blush to her face.

"Shut up," she said, stealing another fry.

"Get your own food. I will stop when it stops being true. But that can't happen, so I'm forced to go on." I sighed. "Such the burden of honesty."

She took another fry and threw it at me. I caught it in my mouth. "My love life is not at question here. Yours is. Everyone in West University has a crush on you."

"Please. They're barely more than half my age."

"You were first kissed by a girl half your age," Marron retorted.

"Way to go with that, by the way," said Yamcha.

"Where'd you come from?" Marron and I said in unison.

"Over there."

Before he left, he reached to steal one of my fries. My hand stopped him, which was more than willing to remove Yamcha's. "Not if you value your life, Weakling," I growled.

"Have it your way then." Yamcha walked away.

"You do realise you just sounded exactly like your father there," Marron giggled as she stole more food.

"Yes, I did. Now stop eating my food, Woman!"

~*~

__

No one exactly knew how Trunks came to be known as a playboy, nor was anyone sure how he only managed to date the crazies. However, his best friend Goten was always right there for him, through thick and thin, for better or for worse. To say that Goten was half of him wasn't an exaggeration. He was half of Gotenks, anyway.

~*~

"I'm going out!" Goten yelled.

"You're leaving me? On _Guys' Night_? Come on, dude!"

"Sorry. This is the only night Diema could get off." Goten grabbed a jacket and headed out the door.

"Wait… Diema Black?"

"The one and only. Why? You know her?"

On the one hand, Goten was my best friend, and one of only seven of my people in the universe. On the other hand, he was leaving. On Guys' Night. The only night that I very pointedly avoided making dates. "Yeah. I do. You have fun."

"Thanks, man. Knew you'd understand." Goten rushed out and flew (figuratively) to his car. I sighed and picked up the phone.

__

Riiing… riiing…It was a habit I'd got into at some point. I don't know why I always sang along with the phone, but it was something to do. _Riii—_

"Hello?" One of Marron's roommates.

"Heya. Can you put Marron on?"

"How do you know she's not out? It's Friday night."

"Because no one's good enough for her. Put her on, please."

I heard the roommate say, "Marron, it's for you!" then her voice, further away, respond, "Who is it?"

"It's Prince Charming."

"He says he's Prince Charming!" I heard giggling, then Marron saying, "Hello Trunks."

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Because I only know two princes and I doubt Vegeta would be calling me."

"I dunno, he might call to tell you to tell your father to die a thousand deaths," I grinned. _Isn't that sad, _I thought, _that a joke with my father is destruction?_

"That's okay, Daddy'd cheerfully say the same to him." It might have been my imagination, but I thought I heard whispering in the background. "Hey, listen, can I call you back in a minute? I have to kill Jessica and Keiko."

"You do that." We hung up and I, having nothing better to do, went into the kitchen to make a snack.

The phone rang while I was heating up my popcorn, so I grabbed the cordless in the kitchen. "You've reached the Trunks Vegeta Briefs Dating Line. Press one to date Trunks. Press two to date Goten. If you're not insane, please stay on the line."

"Boy, what in Kami's name are you talking about?"

"Dad!" I nearly dropped the phone. "I thought you were… well, never mind. Why are you calling?"

"A father can't just call his son?"

"What?"

"Nothing. Your mother said I should make more jokes. I'm calling to remind you about the Capsule… Dance… Thing."

I banged my head against the wall. "Shit. The company ball." _Why do companies always have some sort of dance? I thought I'd got away from that in high school._

"That's it." He seemed delighted in the fact that if he had to suffer at least someone else did.

"When is it again?"

"Woman! When's your ball thing?" I heard him yell. "March third keep your voice down," he answered finally. "Hey!"

"Well Dad, gotta go. Bye!"

I hung up the phone quickly and glared at it. Stupid dancing. Stupid ball. I sniffed the air. _And now I've burnt my damned popcorn._

I tossed the useless and inedible bag in the garbage, which pained me, and tossed another in the microwave. This time I would listen carefully for the gap between pops signifying the short window of opportunity to eat.

The phone rang again. This time, I went with a safer, "Hello?"

"Hi. Sorry it took so long. Keiko and Jessica seemed convinced you were calling to invite me to a ball or something," Marron said.

"Heh. No. Just calling because I was thinking about you."

"On Guys' Night? Should I be honoured or creeped out?"

"Ah, Guys' Night no longer. One of the guys decided to go out with a crazy girl."

"That's not nice. How do you know she's crazy?"

"I used to date her."

Somehow, despite the fact that I couldn't see her face, I knew she winced. "Sorry for him."

"Yeah. Especially since I'll have to miss Guys' Night next time." Maybe I should explain now that Guys' Night was every two weeks.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"I've got this stupid ball thing. To which I have to bring a Crazy Date™." Wait… maybe… "Unless…"

"Unless?"

"Unless you're not doing anything in two weeks? Please? Pretty please?"

"Trunks…"

"I'm doing the puppy dog look. Pleeeease?" Even I scare myself with my mad cuteness.

"Fine. Just… stop being adorable, damn it."

"Can't be done."

~*~

__

Trunks refused to bring a Crazy Date™ to an official Family Function™, which is what the ball constituted. A Family Function™ only ever earned a girl that might be the One. Or a very, very, very close friend. In the two weeks that followed, the very, very, very close friend grew very, very, very nervous. Trunks, however, did not.

~*~

"Am I an idiot for this? I mean, she's my friend! And you're not supposed to mix friends and dates, anyway," I asked the mirror.

"You'll be fine. Just another ball, right?" Goten asked from the door.

"Yeah, I guess. And at least she didn't pick on me for ditching Guys' Night after she already did the week before," I said very pointedly.

"Hey, I went out with Diema. I paid my debt to karma. You owe me."

~*~

__

This would mark the first time that Trunks had gone anywhere with a date that was both sane and intelligent. In fact, if Trunks were to bother to take the time to think about it, he would realise that Marron fit every one of his requirements for being a the One.

~*~

__

I can't believe my own mother made me come to a costume ball, I thought for the millionth time, while waiting for Marron to show up. I'd have gladly picked her up, but as a rule I hate cars and she didn't want the wind swept look in her hair.

I looked in the mirror in the lobby and checked my hair and costume. It was easy to get, but I wasn't really fond of it. The shoulders were awkward. And the boots itched.

Finally, Marron walked in. She wore a tiara, and a gown that looked like it was made of… something… really expensive. Okay, I don't know fashion or fabric.

"Trunks? Is that you?" she giggled. I wouldn't imagine my costume was that good, but I suppose one never knows.

"Yep. What do you think?"

"I think Goku would be strongly amused." My costume consisted of a Saiyan uniform, a lot of hair gel, and some black hair dye. 

"Kakarot," I corrected.

"What?"

"My dad is Bardock. So he made me Kakarot. Being properly Saiyan and all that." I waved my tail around as proof. She reached out to touch it, but I stopped her. "Hey, watch it. You try growing a tail." At that point, I really took a good look at her. "You're beautiful," I found myself saying.

"Thanks. This stupid tiara won't stay put though." She grabbed it and it slipped right off of her head, as if trying to prove her point. I took it and put it on her myself. "How'd you do that?"

"Bra used to dress as a princess a lot. You learn things."

~*~

__

The word dance is rather funny in itself. It is a verb, meaning to move around rhythmically in a set way while listening to music and, ideally, try not to make a fool of oneself. It is a noun, meaning an arranged time to do said verb. It is also a different noun, one particular set of these movements. At the second, Trunks eventually had to do the first in at least one of the third.

~*~

"Come on Trunks. Do you treat all your dates with this charm and class?" Marron sighed.

"Nope. You're getting more than the usual."

"How do you get laid so much? Come dance with me. Now!"

I groaned and stood. "It's not easy to dance in boots you know. Least of all with new parts of you that you've not had experience with."

"Oh, bite me."

The waltz that she made me stand up for suddenly and without segue turned into a slow, romantic song. _How the Hell?_ I thought.

She came closer to me, as one does in such a dance, and I wrapped my arms around her. "This isn't as bad as most of these are," I said.

"I wouldn't know."

"Why don't you come with me next year then?"

She scoffed. "What if you've found your the One?" she asked. "Or if I find mine?"

"Screw 'em."

She giggled. She'd been doing a lot of that lately. "You know, when we were kids, I had the hugest crush on you."

"Why?" I laughed. "I was the biggest brat in the world."

"No you weren't!"

"Yes I was, I was the Saiyan Prince and everyone was to know it."

"Not to me." She snuggled into me closer, like she had seventeen years before. "You were always the cute, heroic Prince Charming who saved my life."

Maybe it was the music, or the wine, or the fact that my tail was wrapped securely around her, but felt myself closer to her then than ever before. "Marron?" I said suddenly.

"Trunks?"

"When you say crush, when did it go away?"

"Who said it did?"

She looked up at me, or I looked down at her, but whichever way it worked, our lips were growing closer together…

I've experienced a lot of second kisses in my life with a lot of different girls. And if I had it to do over again, I would have chosen that fourteen year old girl following Goten and me through town, that nineteen year old girl stealing her first French fry, the twenty-two year old woman I was kissing now and forever.

**__**

Yes, Trunks is Kakarot. Not Goku. Why not a proper Saiyan like Raditz, you ask? Because Kakarot is stronger.


End file.
